PETALING JAYA: The government has been urged to provide greater protection and benefits to employees despite an anticipated uproar by employers as the Human Resources Ministry seeks to amend several outdated laws.
Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) president Datuk Abdul Halim Mansor said while the move might be hugely unpopular to many employers, it is necessary to protect workers who are not covered by a collective agreement (CA).
“If we look at it, those workers with a union will have a CA with their employers, but those who don’t are stuck with the Employment Act 1955,“ he told theSun today.
“Unfortunately, this Act doesn’t offer the best of protections for employees. We can see that the security and benefits for employees under the Act, in the current context, are way too low compared with those protected by a CA.
“But the problem now is to get the agreement of the employers. I expect to see division once the amendments are tabled, but I plead that the government makes a firm stand on the matter.”
One particular policy Abdul Halim said needed immediate amendment was to require the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to deduct the 11% mandatory contribution from workers based on their total monthly income, as opposed to only their basic salary.
He added that this amendment should also be applied to the 13% employers’ contribution each month.
Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran had on Friday said the ministry was seeking to amend three acts – the Employment Act 1955, Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 and the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 – at the next Parliament sitting in March.
He had said the amendments would also be streamlined with the Labour Ordinance of Sabah and Sarawak, claiming that many labour laws were terribly outdated with the changing employment situation.
Abdul Halim also lauded the ministry’s move to involve MTUC in its discussions ahead of the sitting. theSun understand that the ministry is also holding similar meetings with the Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services.
“At the moment, we are directly involved in various discussions. This is the first time in over two years that our (MTUC) voices are being heard by the government.
“We will meet ministry officials every month now for meeting, and they are making serious efforts in championing the workers’ rights. And I hope they remain serious and committed” he said.
